Current status of each field in the Korean publishing market ③ Philosophical and Religious Publications
2020.04.06
Religion was the origin of publishing in both the East and the West. The common ground of 42-line Gutenberg Bible (1455) which is regarded as the beginning of modern publication and Jikji: Anthology of Great Buddhist Priests’ Zen Teachings (1377), the world’s first Buddhist scripture made with movable metal types which predate the Bible, is that they are both religious books. It is possible to say that philosophical and religious publications are from the same source in that they both talk about the ongoing struggles of humanity – what is a human being and how should one live.
It is possible to say that philosophical and religious publications are from the same source in that they both talk about the ongoing struggles of humanity – what is a human being and how should one live.
Last year, many of the popular books in the philosophy field were related to psychology and philosophy that people can easily relate to in daily life. In short, they were very close to self-development books. This kind of area is categorized as “humanities” in Korea. The book How Philosophy Becomes a Weapon of Life (Dasan Books) written by Yamaguchi Shu which ranked first in humanities was also read as a book for business. With the sub-title “50 thinking tools to break through an uncertain life,” this book features how one can strategically utilize the core ideas of major philosophers centering on people, organization, society, and ideology. The book 12 Rules for Life (Maven) written by psychologist Jordan B. Peterson who was a professor of psychology at Harvard University and The Courage To Be Disliked (Influential) by a Japanese philosopher Kishimi Ichiro were loved by readers as well.
You’re Right, Self-Esteem Lesson
On Ways of Living, It is good to think of death in the morning
One thing these books share is that by telling a story or “kindly talking to the readers,” people can be encouraged to overcome difficulties in life and regain confidence.
The sales trend in religious books has been mainly determined by those written by popular religious people (influential pastor or monk). However, the book that ranked first in this field in 2019 was by two writers with the nickname “Sunshine Beans (Kim Nadan, Kim Yeon-Sun).” Meditation book God’s Timing for Your Life (Kyujang) and God’s Letter for Your Life (42 Media Contents) became bestsellers, and their new book God’s Present for Your Life (Kyujang) also hit the top sales list this year. This couple has been communicating with more than 100 thousand followers on their Social Media every day since 2015, which shows that the power of Social Media can be a greater influence on the field of religion. The trailer videos for books, phrases, calligraphy, and illustrations the couple wrote and made can be seen when you click the list on an online bookstore, and these ordinary, not-so-special contents show that the dynamism of Social Media does have a great influence on their popularity in the market.
God’s Timing for Your Life, God’s Letter for Your Life, God’s Present for Your Life
True Happiness, Words of Wisdom for Newlyweds, Lessons for Life
Regarding philosophical books, Seokwangsa (established in 1974) is the unrivalled publisher. It has been adhering to publishing philosophical books including Eastern and Western philosophy and religion. Also, Dongnyok (established in 1982) is a humanities and social science publisher that published milestone philosophical books every 10 years beginning with the popular An Essay of Philosophy (1983) to An Essay of East Asian Philosophy (1993) and An Essay of Korean Philosophy (2003), etc. Meanwhile, Tongnamu (established in 1986) focused on publishing books related to oriental studies, which in particular concentrated on the books of Kim Yong-Ok. Ehak Publishing Co. (established in 1996) is also a specialized publisher in philosophy, aesthetics, and religion. Plus, not only EjB that published Plato: Complete Work but also Hangilsa, Chaeksesang, Greenbee, Gil, and Acanet are publishers that have been publishing Western philosophical books in a significant amount.
Written by Baek Won-Keun (Books & Society Research Institute, President) Baek Won-Keun (Books & Society Research Institute, President) |
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